Area prep wrestlers rule state

There was no stopping Deer Park during a weekend when state trophies were abundant, both team and individually for North Side teams and athletes during last weekend’s state high school wrestling and gymnastics competition in the Tacoma Dome.

The Stags scored 184.5 points, a 2A record by a point, and had an amazing six state champions while winning their second straight team title by an 89-point margin.

“We talked to the kids about closing the door and they delivered,” said coach Matt Jorgensen. “I didn’t see it coming. It was hard work and a lot of long hours, but it is worth it.”

All told, Deer Park placed eight wrestlers and four of the state champions will be back. Riverside placed five while finishing fourth for the second year in a row.

Twenty-nine wrestlers from the North Side brought home medals, with Lakeside placing third as a team with 120 points and bringing home two more state champions, Bryan Baumgarden and Jacob Lauderdale for the third straight year.

“It was the second time Bryan was in the finals,” Lauderdale said. “He’s my training partner and without him I wouldn’t have been here.”

A budding program, born of a burgeoning youth program, is North Central. The Indians scored 74.5 points and placed seventh in the 3A state meet. All four of its individual placers will be back, including two-time medalists Nathan Brown and Jared Berlinger, who finished second and fifth at 112 pounds.

Mead won two state titles and scored 63 points in 4A. Uncommon freshman Jordan Rogers displayed the ability to counter anything thrown at him in the title match. Junior Jacob Trotter made good on a Friday vow to win the 215 title. He had wrestled the man he defeated, Lake Washington’s Grant Haschak earlier in the year. Leading him by six points, Trotter gave up nine in the third and lost. This time he prevailed 4-2.

Mad that he lost in the regional final, as it turned out, it put him opposite Haschak in the state bracket, setting up Saturday’s title showdown.

•Youth was served during gymnastics in the neighboring Exhibition Hall at the Tacoma Dome. Shadle Park and Lakeside freshmen Alana Norman and Anandae Egland were top-10 all-around finishers in 3A/2A/1A state and placed in individual events.

State Placers

Gymnastics

Shadle Park – Alana Norman, 5th (tie) all-around; 2nd vault; 3rd balance beam

Lakeside – Anandae Egland, 10th all-around; 7th floor exercise

Wrestling

Mead (3) – Jordan Rogers, fr., state champion, 140; Jacob Trotter, jr., state champion, 215; Jeremy Golding, fr., 8th, 119.

Mt. Spokane (2) – Zach Wilkes, sr., 3rd, 152; Wyatt Maguire, jr., 7th, 119.

North Central (4) – Nathan Brown, jr., 2nd, 112; Ben Carter, jr., 3rd, 171, Steven Taylor, jr., 3rd, 285; Jared Berlinger, so., 5th, 112.

Shadle Park (1) – Darren Bunke, so., 5th, 119.

Deer Park (8) – Blake Adams, jr., state champion, 112; Drew Acorn, jr., state champion, 119; Billy Rhoads, so., state champion, 140; Brandon Leliefeld, sr., state champion, 145; Cody Miller, sr., state champion, 152; Shawn Burton, so., state champion, 285; Ethan Grable, sr., 3rd, 215; Kyle Whitney, sr., 7th, 171.

Riverside (5) – Jake DesRoches, sr., 3rd, 160; Nick DesRoches, so., 3rd, 171; Ryan Major, sr., 5th, 125; Dewey Bender, fr., 7thh, 145; Garrett Santanna, jr., 8th, 119.

Lakeside (6) – Bryan Baumgarden, sr., state champion, 119; Jacob Lauderdale, sr., state champion, 125; Ben Fuson, sr., 2nd, 285; Josh Lauderdale, so., 3rd, 130; Michael Baumgarden, so., 4th, 112; Josh Karas, sr., 6th, 215.